themeetingslangabeer

Langabeer was for many years the dynamic club director for Magical Moments & Memories (MMM), a British Disneyana enthusiasts' club. In 1994 she hosted Carl Barks' visit to England, the last leg of his triumphant European tour.

After many weeks of excited anticipation, the day finally dawned - Sunday 17 July is now etched in my memory forever - and that of a number of MMM club members, too, I would imagine.

We all gathered in the Austen’s Lounge of the Cumberland Hotel in London where we had exclusive use of the restaurant and what a magnificent tea they laid on for us. Scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam, a variety of sandwiches and cakes and pastries, all served of course with pots of tea.
As there were only a small number of us (about twenty) it was possible for each member to sit with Carl (and his managers Bill Grandey and Kathy Morby) and to have a few minutes to chat with Carl and get their items signed in civilised setting. Each member had a photo taken with Carl (as well as a group photo).
The event was a tremendous success. Carl was extremely jovial - an exceptionally charming man and he obviously enjoyed meeting his fans. It was also the first chance that members had had to meet one another and a great deal of socialising went on between them.

Following the tea I had a private meeting with Carl and his managers and took some more photos - Carl loves the camera - which is just as well! I took the opportunity to ask Carl how the tour had gone. You will recall that he has spent the past six weeks touring eleven different countries sponsored in the main by Egmont (comic publishers) and also by Disney Consumer Products and the Parks. The Disney Store & Magical Moments sponsored the London stage of the tour. The main aim of which was to heighten awareness of Carl’s comic stories.
The schedule would have been gruelling for anyone, but doubly so for a man of 93 - especially as there was very little free time written in to the programme (until he got to London, that is). MMM are proud to have contributed in a small way to the sponsorship - and in a much larger way to the decision to add London to the tour.

Carl told me that he’d had a wonderful tour of Europe - experiencing all the flavour and colour of those countries that, in the past, he’d only been able to write about.
Sue - London - the last stop - how do you feel about the tour?
Carl - It has been great seeing all these different countries and meeting such a wide range of people. I must say too that whilst it was pleasant meeting all the Ambassadors and VIPs en route, best of all I enjoyed meeting my fans at the many signing sessions. And it was wonderful meeting your members over the Devon Cream Tea here at the Cumberland in London. I have to say that at some of the formal dinners I have attended I have had difficulty joining in the conversation. With my hearing aid it is difficult to isolate conversation from the many and varied background noises (especially the canned music). Strangely enough though, after a couple of hours my hearing seemed to get much more acute .... or maybe I mellowed.
Sue - Could the wine have had anything to do with that?
Carl (with that twinkle in his eye and a chuckle in his voice) - Maybe you’re right - I hadn’t thought of that!
Sue - Looking back - what were the highlights of your tour?
Carl - There were a great many, but three spring immediately to mind - Lunch in the Jules Verne Restaurant at the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Riding in the Grand Parade at Euro Disneyland Paris in the Fire Engine with Donald and travelling on the bridge of the ship with the Captain en route from Helsinki to Stockholm. The boat was enormous - about 5 or 6 stories high.
Sue - Were the countries as you imagined they would be?
Carl - Some were, but others were completely different. For instance, I had thought that Poland would be bleak and down-trodden - but it was full of lively people who appeared to have had no troubles in their entire life. The city has been largely rebuilt. There were lots of parks and the scenery was very memorable. I was also impressed with Reykjavik. It was a very modern city, powered mainly by natural steam.

Sue - What’s all this I hear about your latest duck painting?
Carl - Disney Art Editions will shortly be unveiling my latest painting - 'Surprise Party at Memory Pond', a celebration of Donald Duck's 60th birthday. It features all the old favourites - in addition to the main characters it also includes Gus Goose, Peter Pig, The Wise Little Hen, Gyro Gearloose etc. The lithograph has been produced in a limited number (total 795) and as before, all personally signed by me.
Sue - That must be a mammoth task, signing all those prints - how long does it take?
Carl -We have that worked out to a fine art now, a bit like a conveyor belt system. Kathy and Bill (my managers) stand either side and they place each one down in front of me and take it away - I just sign. It still takes several hours.
Sue - By the way, how much will you be selling your Memory Pond painting for?
Carl - This original oil painting, which is 28” x 22”, will fetch in the region of $200,000.
Sue - Who took the photo of the painting? It is very professional - no flair and excellent exposure.
Carl - I did, actually, using a Canon (AE2 I believe) on a tripod with lights either side. Which is essential to avoid flare. The setting was F8/30 sec for those of you who are technically minded! I am very interested in photography and would quite like to do still life and experiment using various coloured filters to get different lighting effects. I think this will be my last painting.
Sue - Oh yes? Kathy tells me that you’ve been out shopping in London for new paint brushes.
Carl - Yes, it’s true I have bought some original Windsor and Newton paintbrushes. I reckon that they are sending their seconds to the US, so I wanted to get some good ones while I was here!
Sue - Thank you Carl, I’ll now leave you to have some rest”.

The following morning I was lucky enough to be invited to go with Carl, Bill and Kathy to watch the interview by Paul Gambaccini being recorded for GMTV (this actually went out on Morning TV on 21 July). Carl really came alive for the cameras and he obviously had great fun recalling his career with Paul.
Kathy and Bill both agreed that of all the interviews done with Carl on his European tour (and that was many) this was the best yet. Paul obviously knew (and loved) his subject and it came over in the interview.

In the afternoon I had the honour and privilege of taking Carl (on my own) first to the Harrods Department Store (in search of more painting equipment!!) and then on to the Tate Gallery. It was my first visit to the Tate, and Carl and I had quite similar tastes - we both preferred the classical paintings to the modern ones and we were able to take the time to sit and admire them together. Carl was even able to identify various artists just from their style of painting - I was very impressed. We then returned to the hotel so Carl could rest before the evening function.

That evening Carl, Kathy, Bill and I set off for the National Museum of Cartoon Art where once again Paul Gambaccini was scheduled to interview Carl in front of a small band of invited guests of the Museum (Friends of the Cartoon Art Trust). Then the interview began. And what an interview it was. It lasted for over an hour and Paul Gambaccini quizzed Carl all about his life from the very early days, right up to the present time. It was VERY enlightening. For instance, how many of you knew that Carl was also very good at doing ‘girlie’ drawings and they were considered somewhat risqué, so I won’t show an example but two that are being released as lithographs now are Caliph of Baghdad and The Nude with the Hat. And a wonderful end to an utterly fantastic weekend. On behalf of your many fans - Thanks a million Carl!

Bill, Kathy, Barks, and Sue at the MMM gathering

A cartoonist's rendering of the four

Barks next to Gambaccini at the TV session

This contribution was written specially for this website. The photos are the personal property of the author. © Sue Langabeer.